Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE) Programme

Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE) Programme

Goal

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the European Union (EU) are supporting the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare (MoGCSW) to implement the Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE) Programme. The programme aims to support Government’s commitment to reduce gender inequalities between men, women, girls and youths in accessing productive resources and development opportunities as well as promoting decision making in order to contribute positively to the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) II and accelerate attainment of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Objectives

The overall programme objective is to contribute towards acceleration of efforts to advance gender equality and equity as a human right for the reduction of HIV and AIDS and poverty in line with the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS), the National Gender Policy (NGP) and (the future Gender Sector Wide Approach). The overall objective is in line with the goal of the 7th Country Program of UNFPA in Malawi that is being implemented in the period 2012-2016. The programme purpose is to promote gender equality and equity in Malawi through the support of State and Non State institutions and initiatives.

Institutional capacity of the national “Gender Machinery’’ strengthened (defined as Civil Society, Public and Private Sector Actors working towards gender equality and equity).

Result Area 2

Capacity for mainstreaming gender in National AIDS Commission (NAC) and key priority sectors are enhanced.

Result Area 3

Equality between women and men in society improved through economic, social and legal empowerment.

Result Area 4

Socio-cultural practices impacting on the link between gender and HIV and AIDS including Gender Based Violence (GBV) better understood and utilized for behavioral change intervention in HIV and AIDS.

The programme officially became effective on 18th May, 2012 and it was officially launched by the President of the Republic of Malawi, Her Excellency, Mrs Joyce Banda, on 12 July 2012 at Bingu Conference Centre in Lilongwe.

The Programme is being implemented on a pilot basis in 13 districts of the country representing the diversity of gender issues in all the three regions as follows: Chitipa, Karonga, Nkhatabay and Mzimba in the Northern Region; Dowa, Mchinji, Salima and Dedza in the Central Region; and Mangochi, Machinga, Chiradzulu, Chikwawa and Nsanje in the Southern Region.

The primary beneficiaries of this programme are women, men, girls and boys, particularly in the 13 target districts, that will be reached directly or indirectly by the Gender Machinery with interventions aimed at improving gender equity and equality. Other key beneficiaries for this intervention include Government Ministries and Departments; Civil Society Organizations and Non State Actors; academic and research institutions; UNFPA and other development partners, District Councils and Traditional Authorities.

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare is the lead implementing agency of the programme on behalf of the Government of Malawi. Implementation of activities at national and district level is jointly done by MoGCSW and 10 Implementing Partners that were competitively selected through a Call for Proposals that was announced in August 2012.